Who Else But Her?
by Battlehawk2016
Summary: In the aftermath of her decision to Sacrifice Chloe to save Arcadia Bay, Max Caulfield is left devastated by what she had done. Only one person could lift her from this despair, who else but her? [Marshfield]
1. Who Else Would?

I don't know how long I walked for.

I don't know if I even knew where I was going.

I just know that after god knows how long walking I ended up at the lighthouse.

 _Of course you did, Caulfield, where else in Arcadia Bay were you going to end up?_

All I knew was that I had needed to get away from Blackwell and be alone to get my head around everything that had happened. It was all just too much. I had hung in that moment atop this very same cliff top with Chloe for as long as I could, not wanting to let her go even if I knew that she was right and that she had made up her mind. God knew that I wasn't going to convince her to change her mind once she had made it up; if there was one thing that Chloe Price was it was stubborn. That didn't mean that I particularly wanted to let her, my best friend, go so easily. I had wasted five years of my life out of contact with her, and in the last five days…

 _DAMNIT, it wasn't the last five days, those days didn't happen._

Chloe died alone, and those five days when we started to put everything right never happened. I don't know what was worse; that they didn't happen or that I remember them and have to remind myself that they didn't happen. To know that the Chloe that had known that she wasn't alone, that she hadn't been abandoned was gone, and that the Chloe that had died… that I had let die, had died thinking that everyone in her life had abandoned her. Hell, my Chloe had known that I had been at Blackwell for weeks before we had bumped into each other on that fateful day, so the Chloe that had died had every reason to think that I had abandoned her; and I hadn't had the chance to put that right.

God that hurt, knowing how much of a crappy friend I was; not only had I let her die but I hadn't even had the chance to maker her last few days better.

I sank onto the bench atop the clifftop and buried my head in my hands as I finally let the tears that I had been holding in flood down my face like a waterfall. It was quiet by the Lighthouse; only the quiet, distant crash of the was far below, and the rustle of the wind in the trees, the peacefulness broken only by my sobs. Much like most of the day's events I don't know how long I sat there crying for my lost friend before she came upon me. In retrospect there was only really one person that would have come out all this way to find me. Most of the others at Blackwells either hated my guts or, whilst friendly, were not the sort to come out all this way just to find me.

"Max?" She asked softly.

Kate Marsh. She shy, kind-hearted and effortlessly beautiful girl that I had talked down from the rooftop of the Prescott Dormitory; although of course that hadn't happened either. My breath caught in my throat as I realised that even though today she was in the build up to the despair that had forced her up onto the roof she had still come out here to find me.

"Kate," I replied, not looking up.

A few moments of silence passed and for a moment I thought that she had walked away; then I felt her hand rest gently on my shoulder as she sat on the bench beside me. She kept her hand on my shoulder for a few moments before she reached out, cautiously and pulled my hands away from my face. I almost shook her hand off and kept my face hidden, I didn't want her to see me crying, but something about her comforting presence stayed my hand. She cupped my cheek with one hand turned my face up to look at her.

I must have looked an total state to say the least. My eyes were red from crying and my cheeks blotchy and my hair was in a mess from pushing through the trees without much care on my way up here; not to mention my flight from Blackwell.

"Oh Max," Kate said gently, and yet there was no judgement in her voice.

Instead the kind Christian girl reached out and took me into her arms. Where before I might have felt a little uncomfortable, as friendly as the two of us had been with our weekly tea meetings, now I only felt a sense of comfort and security as I buried my head into her shoulder, tears springing anew. Kate held me, whispering comforting words into my ear as I sobbed into her shoulder. It was a long time before I could bring my self to draw back from her, by which point my tears had long dried up, and looked her in the eyes. I saw such sympathy and compassion in her deep hazel eyes that I almost burst out into tears again, but I took a deep breath and steadied myself.

"Thank You, Kate," I said shakily.

"Anything for you, Max," Kate replied, then paused and bit her lip. "Who was she?"

"She was my friend," I replied quietly, barely more than a whisper. "She was my friend, Kate… and I let her die."

"Max… there was nothing you could have done," Kate said gently. "Nathan had a gun, you couldn't have stopped him."

 _But I could have, that's the worst bit._

"I could have stopped him; I could have done something," I insist. "I was in the bathroom with them, i could have stepped out."

"And Nathan would probably have shot you as well," Kate replied firmly, far more firmly than I had ever heard the mild-mannered girl adopt before. "Would your friend have wanted you to get hurt trying to save her, only to die with you?"

"No, I suppose not."

 _No, Caulfield, you know damn well not._

"I know you don't believe Max, but I do; and I have to believe that God has a plan for all of us; you are here alive and that is the most important thing; God has a plan for you," Kate continued, her hand gripping mine tightly. "I know it seems like its impossible now; believe me I know."

"I know you do, Kate."

She fixed me with a look, clearly something in the tone of my voice indicated to here that I truly did know just know how well she knew that if seemed like it was impossible, in a way that simply shouldn't be possible. In the other timeline Kate had deliberately refused to talk about what was bothering her on that first day, at least until I began to piece it together myself and she began to open up to me. Of course at this point she hadn't done any of that, so she was naturally curious, which reminded me of the Kate that I had known before all of this had started.

"What's going on, Max?" Kate asked after a few moments. "I can tell there's something else going on here."

I don't know what compelled me to tell her; if she had rejected what I was telling her the chances were that I would have fallen back into the despair I had been feeling before she had arrived, but perhaps I told her because I knew that she would believe me; or would at least give me the benefit of the doubt. So I told her, I told her everything. She just sat there, listening to what I was saying. Her explanation fluctuated between understanding, compassion and shock, yet disbelief or disdain never crossed her expression; she probably had her doubts, but she kept them well hidden. Whether it was because she knew that I needed her to believe me, or that she truly did believe me I don't know, but regardless it was what I needed in that moment; someone to understand what I was going through, what I was dealing with. Or at least, in her mind, maybe, the delusion I thought I was having, at first at at least. Until I told her in depth about he down situation, and about the rooftop, then I think she truly believed.

The sun was sinking towards the horizon by the time I finished speaking, and Kate finished asking her questions, sending long shadows across the clifftop; from the lighthouse, from the trees and from the two of us

"What do you think?" I asked cautiously, vulnerably.

"I think that God works in mysterious ways, and that it is entirely possible that he may have made all this possible; can you think of any other explanations other than divine intervention?" Kate replied after a moment. "That someone this way will work out the best for as many people, requiring the sacrifice of as few people as possible, one whom, as you say, willingly made that sacrifice at the end."

"You believe me?" I whispered, hardly believing what I was saying but desperately needing to hear her say the words.

"I believe that you believe it, and that is good enough for me," Kate replied firmly. "Besides, you've never lied to me before."

I nod thoughtfully and squeeze her hand before letting it go. There is still a gaping Chloe-shaped hole in my heart, and I guess there always will be, but Kate has given to me what I gave to her in the other timeline; hope and support, and that was what I needed to pull myself up, brush myself down and to carry on. Knowing that I know what happened to her, and given that Nathan had been arrested, it would be easy enough to prove that she had been drugged, which would remove the stain from her reputation and, with Max's help and those of her other friends, Kate would be able to rebuild her life. Knowing that Kate had turned her attention, immediately and without hesitation, to helping me, I couldn't help but wonder who else in my life would have done that for me, so selflessly putting aside her own worries to help me deal with mine.

"Thank you, Kate," I repeated.

"Anything for you, Max," She did as well, as we shared a hug.

We were both brought back to the moment by the sound of my message notification on my phone. I pulled the device out and thumbed the button and looked down at the message.

 _Warren: Jefferson's just been arrested. Get back to school ASAP._


	2. No But I will be

We didn't speak much on the long walk back to Blackwell.

It wasn't an uncomfortable silence though, and I could tell from Kate's expression that she was thinking hard about what I had said and was trying to get her head around it all. That was understandable really, it wasn't every day that one of your friends suddenly announced that they had travelled in time, and had memories from an alternate timeline, after all! I was glad that I had told her though, somehow I knew that she would believe me, or at least hear me out;. I hadn't planned to tell her, but there had been something about her eyes and her expression that had made her want to open up and tell her the truth. Of course Kate had always been the caring sort; the fact that she had immediately pushed her own worries aside to care for me spoke volumes, and I don't know if I could ever truly thank her for what she did; pulling me from the depths of despair and giving me hope, just by listening, believing and giving me hope that the world hadn't ended and that life went on.

I wasn't in a good place by any stretch of the imagination, but I was on the right path now, and somehow I knew that Kate would be by my side all the way.

We arrived back on Campus to find the place in an uproar. All of the students and teachers alike were out on the Campus outside the Main Building either in groups, more than likely gossiping about what had happened today, or on their phones doing the same to family or friends further away. What looked like the entire Arcadia Bay Police Department had apparently sealed off the Main Building, and there was crime scene tape all over the place. A devastated looking David was milling around; for all that Chloe had liked to think otherwise, her 'step-ass' did truly care for her, I had started to see it during the week that never was, it was truly sad that Chloe had never been able to see it too.

 _Just another thing to chalk up on the list of things you've fucked up, Caulfield._

I got more than a few strange looks from students and teachers alike as me and Kate made our way across the campus towards where Warren was sat on the grass looking up at the building. This was to be expected; everyone knew that I had been in the Girls Bathroom when the shooting happened, that I had desperately tried to save Chloe's life only to fail, and that it was my word that was likely to send Nathan to prison. And of course Kate was the girl who had starred in that disgusting video. The one upside to my situation was that it would draw the attention away from Kate; sure she would still have to deal with her family, and I would be there for her as she was there for me now, but she wouldn't have to deal with the same degree of harassment as she had in the other timeline; and if what Nathan had done to her came to light, well she would be seen as the victim, and that was better than being seen as a slut, especially for Kate. I did my best to keep my head held high as we crossed campus, but I felt the tears in my eyes again; I hadn't been back to Blackwell all day since… well, since Chloe's death.

"Hey Max," Warren said as we approached. "I… I'm sorry about Chloe."

I frowned, how did Warren know who Chloe was, and that she meant something to me. I glanced across at Kate who looked a little sheepish but looked me back in the eyes and nodded. Of course she had given Warren a head's up; she knew that I needed my friends right now.

"Thanks Warren, I appreciate that," I nodded awkwardly.

 _Since when don't you do anything awkward?_

"What do we know about Mr Jefferson?" Kate asked after a few moments.

"The police caught Nathan freaking out in the Dorms, managed to bring him out without a firefight though, he dropped his weapon after her shot your friend, he looked messed up as hell," Warren replied. "I think they interviewed him in Wells' office, then a few hours ago they took him away in a police car, Jefferson was then called in for questioning, and about an hour ago he was led out in cuffs."

"Does anyone know what they arrested him for?" I raised an eyebrow.

"No clue, I know a few people went and asked Principal Wells, and Victoria, Courtney and Taylor all tried to chat up the policemen, but no one is saying a thing, at least not for the moment," Warren shook his head. "Wells did say that he wanted to speak to you, Max, and to you Kate, as soon as you got back."

I shared a glance with Kate. Was it possible that Nathan had rolled over on Jefferson , telling the police everything about the Dark Room, and what he had done to Kate, in an effort to get some leniency for his murder of Chloe? That was an unpleasant thought; was I going to have to choose between justice for Chloe and justice for Rachel Amber, and all the other girls that Jefferson had so badly violated in the Dark Room. That wasn't a choice that I particularly wanted to make; I wanted Nathan to suffer for what he had done to Chloe, but could I allow my revenge to take away any chance for Kate, and Jefferson's other victims, to not get the closure they so needed and so deserved. Particularly when Chloe was dead and wasn't going to benefit from Nathan going down, whereas Kate and who knew how many others would take great comfort from Jefferson's incarceration.

I just hoped that I wouldn't have to make that that choice.

"Come on Max, we'll go see the Principal now," Kate said firmly. "Together."

"Together," I agreed.

Thanking Warren we made our way back towards the Main Building where two police officers were manning the police tape to stop anyone from going into the building. We explained to the two officers who we were and they immediately took us inside to where Principal Wells was sat in his office with a Detective who told us that as we were being questioned about separate matters we could be interviewed together if we wanted. Kate glanced with me but I was already nodding insistently, although I couldn't help but smile slightly at the smile that formed on her face at my frantic nodding. As we were taken into Wells' office and told to sit in the seats in front of the desk I felt my worry begin to return; it was a well known 'fact' that the Arcadia Bay Police was in the pocket of the Prescott Family, surely that wouldn't be enough to cover up a murder… but what if it was? Especially if it was combined with Nathan cutting a deal to sell out Jefferson.

They questioned me first, and I felt Kate take my hand and squeeze it tightly several times during the interview when I had to recount what I had seen in the bathroom and when I had to talk about Chloe actually dying. Not to be overly dramatic but I honestly don't think I would have been able to get through the questioning with my sanity intact without Kate grounding me, and I felt an outpouring of gratitude to her. It was pretty much instinctive that, when the questioning turned towards Kate, that I took her hand myself and squeezed it comfortingly.

From the questioning it was obvious that Nathan had indeed told the police what had been going on with Jefferson, what had happened in the Dark Room and that Kate had been one of his victims. It was obviously incredibly difficult for Kate to talk about this, and she gripped my hand tightly throughout the interview, not letting go. Fortunately the Detective was far more understanding and than he had been with me, only heightening my concerns that Nathan was, somehow, going to weasel his way out of the consequences, but at least it was easier for Kate.

Never the less, Kate's hand didn't leave mine for the entire duration of her interview, and she squeezed it tightly a few times, obviously needing the comfort of the physical contact, and I found that I did't mind in the slightest

"Thank You, Miss Marsh, I'll probably want to speak to you again, but I'm sure it's been a very difficult day for everyone," The Detective said finally, and I felt the relief flow through Kate as she sagged slightly in her chair. "I have nothing else for you either, Miss Caulfield."

We both felt a great deal of relief as Principal Wells didn't hold us any longer either and we were both able to escape out the door and soon enough we were outside once more. The sun was beginning to set and, unlike the Monday evening in the week that never was, there was no mystery snow, nothing to indicate that anything was amiss. At least that meant that the storm wasn't going to happen; that the world had sorted itself out and that Chloe's sacrifice had meant something. I had worried about that as well, what if we had been so damn wrong about it all, and Chloe's death had changed nothing.

"I can't believe that Nathan actually dropped Jefferson in it," Kate said softly. "That now we have proof that I didn't mean to do what I did in that video."

"Will it help with your parents?" I asked as we sat down on the edge of the fountain around the stature of Blackwell's founder.

"I don't know; I think my mother will still hold it against me; probably say that I shouldn't have gone to the party in the first place; she's right I suppose but you should see some of the things she's sent me Max," Kate shuddered, and I felt the sudden urge to put my arms around her shoulders, but I didn't for the moment. "Oh Max, I felt so alone this morning, when I thought that I had no one and that everyone thought I was some sort of slut, I can completely understand how I ended up on that roof in your timeline, but I should have known that you'd have helped me there as you have here… and who else but you would have?"

"And I always will, Kate, I promise," I replied instantly.

Whatever else I might have to deal with, I wouldn't let Kate ever feel alone and without friends again. She might not need it as much as she had in that other timeline, but I still remembered how depressed she had been, and I still remembered how my heart had caught in my throat as I saw her plummet to the ground, only saved by my rewind powers. Never again would I let her have to face everything alone, her being there for me this morning had only strengthened that desire.

"Thank You, Max, as I said, you've never lied to me before," Kate replied with a sad smile. "And I'll always be there to help you too."

"I know," I replied.

We looked into each other's eyes for a few moments, seeing only truth and affection in each other's eyes. We only looked away when we realised just how long we had been holding each other's gaze, and Kate's cheeks turned a very interesting shade of pink even as I realised that mine were heating as well. Not that I minded, she looked cute as hell when she blushed.

 _Wait…What!?_

Since when did I look at Kate, or any girl for that matter, and decide that they looked cute when they blushed… since when did I decide that any girl looked cute at all for that matter, outside of an objective assessment of their physical appearance. I had always academically known that Kate was beautiful, in her shy, understated sort of way, but I'd never looked at her and declared her 'cute' particularly because of a specific thing as intimate as noticing that she was blushing.

 _Well… Caulfield, that's something for you to start turning over in your mind all night!_

"We should probably be heading back to our dorms," Kate said at last, breaking the awkward silence.

And just like that the awkwardness was gone, and we were back to being just Max and Kate, and we walked in companionable silence across the campus until we reached the Prescott Dormitory. There was still a lot of people milling about in the open space in front of the Dorms, and we got a few strange looks, but for the most part we ignored them, our head held high, as we made our way up the steps and into the building. It was quite on the Girls' Corridor as we made our way towards our respective rooms, most people still outside. I noticed that a lot of people had changed their whiteboard messages to say things like 'Justice for Chloe', and I couldn't help but feel the urge to throw-up, how many of these people, if any, had even known Chloe? And yet here they were, declaring their outrage at her murder. I suppose I ought to be grateful for the support, but it just felt like people jumping on the bandwagon of a tragedy; it would certainly be interesting to find out how many people had actually known Chloe.

"Well this is me, Max," Kate commented as we stood outside her dorm, I noticed that her board was lacking in any sort of unpleasant insult, an improvement to say the least. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine, I'm just down the corridor," I promised. "Are you?"

"I'll be fine," Kate repeated with a slight smile. "Text if you need me, okay?"

I nodded and mustered a smile as Kate slipped into her room. I remained looking at door for a good few minutes before I realised what I was doing, and only then because another voice snapped me back to reality.

"You okay, Max?" Dana asked quietly, standing in the door to her room.

"No," I replied truthfully, glancing over at her. "But I will be."

Dana looked unconvinced, and I could see concern in her eyes. Whilst me and Dana hadn't been particularly close, we were friendly and, if the other timeline was anything to go off we could become good friends, something I had to make sure I encouraged in this timeline as well. Chloe in the other timeline had brought me out of my shell, and I had started making friends with several others at Blackwell, and to my surprise I had discovered that I had actually enjoyed it; that beneath sometimes prickly exteriors most of the people at Blackwell were a decent sort. Including of course a certain Christian girl who looked cute when she blushed.

 _Damnit Caulfield!_

"Seriously Dana, I'll be fine," I reassured her. "Thank you for the concern though."

"Anytime… listen, we'll have a chat tomorrow, alright?" Dana replied. "But you should get to bed, you look beat Max."

"I will," I nodded. "Goodnight Dana."

"Goodnight, Max."

I made my way along the corridor to my dorm room, and looked back in time to watch as Trevor stuck his head through the door leading to the stairs and crept over to the waiting Dana who greeted him with a passionate kiss before pulling him into her room. Despite everything that had happened I couldn't help but smile at this and roll my eyes as I slipped into my own room. Stripping out of my clothes and pulling on my pyjamas gratefully lay down on my bed; asleep before my head hit the pillow.


	3. My Angel

**Author's Note: Sorry, all for the delay in getting this up. Been a long week and a bit!**

I woke the next morning to the soothing music of 'Something Good' by Alt-J emanating from my phone, one of my favourite songs to wake up to. I woke slowly, staying on my back looking up at the ceiling as the music continued to play, gently guiding me towards consciousness. As my slowly waking mind wandered it found its way towards the last time I had heard this song, the morning of the Tuesday of that lost week. As a result of course my mind began to flash between everything that had happened that day, from the hours spent reconnecting with Chloe and exploring my powers, to that terrible few minutes on the rooftop when I had to talk Kate down. In that moment all the emotion came flooding back and I found myself sobbing, although none of them had ever happened now I still remembered them, and they still hurt. The days that never where, the lives that would never be lived… and the lives that no longer were. It was all too much and I felt tears flooding down my face as I found myself drowning in this tidal wave of emotion that had hit me out of nowhere.

"Max?"

Just like that she was there, like a life ring in my ocean of sadness her voice cut through my sobbing. Of course someone would find me like this, and really who else but her would it have been? Doubtless she could hear my sobs through the door, the concern in her voice was audible despite her whispering through a wooden door. When I didn't answer I heard the door open and I looked up to see Kate looking down at me, concern plastered across her face. I knew why, of course, not even the previous day had I been as visibly upset as I was now, but that was because yesterday it hadn't felt real, not really. It was only now that I was beginning to realise quite the extent of what had happened and that it was real, and I was a hella long way from being able to come to terms with any of it, it was just too terrible to even contemplate, and yet I had lived it and that meant I would have to contemplate it.

"I told you to text me if you needed me," Kate admonished gently as she sat down on my bed and lifted my head up into her lap. "Hush now."

She didn't say much else. She just sat there, with my head in her lap, and stroked my hair gently and comfortingly. Somehow just her presence, her touch, was enough. It gave me something to latch onto and to anchor myself in reality, rather than the sea of unreal and distressing thoughts and emotions I had found myself in.

"Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest," Kate said softly after a time.

"Matthew 11:28," I said, my voice little more than a whisper. "Your favourite verse."

"Yes, it is," Kate replied with a sad smile. "It's a verse that gives me a great deal of comfort in dark times.'

"I know," I said heavily. "It helped me talk you down from the roof."

I heard Kate sigh and felt her fingers move from stroking my hair gently down my cheek until she reached my chin and encouraged my to sit up with gentle pressure. She looked sad, of course she was; on top of all she was dealing with I had dropped all of my troubles on her as well, but instead of the despair I had seen on her face in the lost week, and that I knew she could see on mine, I saw a grim determination as she locked eyes with me.

"Max… I am not going to that roof; that was the other me.. the me that didn't know the truth about what happened, the me that was trying to deal with everything on my own, because I thought I was alone," Kate said firmly. "Now I know better, I know what happened, and I know that you are here for me, really I should always have known, but that goes both ways, Max, I'm here for you too."

"I know you are, Kate, it's just that I don't know much else; I don't know what is real anymore, I saw so many different timelines that it's all blurring together," I replied quietly. "And even the things that I know, deep down, didn't happen, like you going up on the roof… I still remember them happening… I remember watching you fall, Kate."

"But you stopped me," Kate said simply. "You stopped me then, and you've stopped me now."

"I guess."

'I'm not saying it's going to be easy, Max, but I promise you won't have to deal with it alone," Kate told me, and I could see the determination in her eyes. "I say, you know I normally play my violin every morning… why don't we play together."

I look over at my guitar thoughtfully. Kate did of course play the violin every morning, or she had up until the last couple of days, and it was always beautiful, something that everyone could appreciate; not even Victoria and her minions complained. I never particularly thought of myself as particularly good, indeed I was kinda worried that I would diminish her playing with mine, but I could see that she was trying to lift my spirits, and music has that magical way of doing just that. I nod shakily and Kate smiles, giving me a hug before leaving to go and grab her violin from her room. I pick up my phone and switch off the music and grab some tissues and wipe the tears from my eyes. Kate really was trying, and as much as it was probably helping distract her from her own problems I was determined to not become too much of a burden.

I picked up my guitar and strummed the strings to get my ear in just in time for Kate to return with her violin. After a a short discussion we agreed to play two parts of the Luigi Boccherini No. 6 Op.30, given that it was classical music it wasn't designed with a guitar in mind of course, but I was confident that I could play the background beat as Kate described it to me. Taking a deep breath I began to play, it was just me for a few moments strumming the beat until Kate joined in with the beautiful and skilled playing that I knew she was capable of. It was an upbeat piece and it was obvious why Kate had chosen for us to play. By the time we had finished the piece I couldn't help but smile, and she smiled back at me for a moment before beginning another tune. In the end we played for maybe an hour in total, a mixture of classical and more modern pieces, as well as bits of improvisation. Little did we know it at the time but we were giving something of a backdrop for everyone else on the floor as they got ready for their day.

"Thank You, Kate," I said softly as he placed out instruments down.

"What for?"

"For this, for doing your best to cheer me up and make me forget my troubles," I replied. "Most of all, for being here."

"You would be here for me, by all accounts you have been already," Kate smiled. "What do you want to do today, classes are cancelled after yesterday."

"I don't think I can face the world today, Kate," I admit quietly. "Do you think we can stay in and watch some movies?"

"Of course," Kate nodded instantly. "How does Disney sound?"

"Disney sounds wonderful, Kate," I replied, managing a small smile. "I'll set up my computer on the beside table."

"And I'll go and grab my DVDs," Kate smiled.

I watched as Kate left to go and get her DVDs and remained staring at my door for a few moments with an affectionate, but natural, smile on my face for the first time in some time. Taking a deep breath I stood and grabbed my laptop and power cable from the desk and set it up on my bed side table before arranging my pillows so that we could both lie and watch it in comfort. By the time I had finished Kate returned with the DVDs, and I could tell from the choices that she had selected the happier films, without the darker tones that marked out some Disney films, I could see where she was going with all this, but I couldn't blame her. She had taken it upon herself to raise my spirits, and I knew that I couldn't thank her enough. She was being more proactive than I had been when she was sad…

 _Damnit Caulfield, don't go getting yourself upset again, you saved her and she's doing the same for you, she just know's what's wrong._

I managed another sad smile as Kate placed the first DVD into my computer and pressed play, settling down next to me as the film began to play. We ended up going through pretty much Kate's entire pile of DVDs throughout the course of the day, we only ventured out to find ourselves what was probably the world's most unhealthy lunch in the form of whatever snacks and other food supplies we could find in either of our rooms. I don't know whether Kate minded spending the entire day sitting or lying on my bed watching DVDs and eating junk food but she never once complained. I caught her watching my carefully a few times when she thought I was concentrating on the film, and I could see her relief that I was enjoying the films without letting my mind wander. That I was, hopefully, putting her worries to rest, at least partially, was very comforting, as I hated that I was placing so much of a burden on her shoulders, particularly as I knew full well how burdened she already was.

Darkness was beginning to fall outside by the time we even thought about doing something else, and that was only really because both of our phones went off at the same time. We shared glanced as the words 'Mom' and 'Mother' appeared on mine and Kate's phone respectively. My conversation was unlikely to be traumatic so I silenced the ringer and took Kate's hand and squeezed it tightly. I could tell that she was nervous, the hand holding her phone was beginning to shake. I looked her in the eyes and gave her a firm nod. She took a deep breath and thumbed the accept button, she held the phone so that we could both listen to the conversation.

"Hello," She said cautiously, quietly and vulnerably.

 _"_ _Kate, this is your mother… We've just had the Arcadia Bay Police Department on the phone,"_ Kate's Mother said, her voice sounding weary more than anything else. _"They say that you were drugged the night you were filmed… doing what you did."_

"It's the truth," Kate replied.

 _"_ _That still doesn't explain why you went to one of these' Vortex Club' parties in the first place,"_ Kate's Mother said sharply. _"You must have known that such things are full of sinful behaviour."_

I squeezed Kate's hand as I felt her wince at her mother's suddenly sharp tone.

"None of which I was taking part in, I was just trying to make some friends and I was drinking soft drinks," Kate said firmly, taking some encouragement from my hand squeeze and my caring expression. "A girl should be able to go to a party without getting drugged and made to do things like that"

 _"_ _Yes, they should,"_ Kate's Mother agreed at length. _"Even so…"_

It was at this point that I couldn't take it any longer. I looked Kate straight in the eyes before I reached up and took her phone from her hands. She looked shocked but she didn't try to take it back from me, and even as her hand gripped mine a little tighter I could see the trust in her eyes.

"Mrs Marsh, my name is Max Caulfield, I am one of Kate's friends, and I just wanted to ask if you have any idea what Kate is going through, that she is the victim here?" I said, righteous (in my opinion) anger filling my tone. "Kate has been through hell and she needs support from you and her family, not condemnation for something she couldn't avoid."

" _Well, I…"_

"I've read the email you send to Kate, Mrs Marsh, and it sounds like you're more concerned about your family's reputation than on Kate's wellbeing and whether or not she is okay," I continued, fierce tears welling in my eyes. "We're all going through a difficult time here right now, you might have heard, so until you've got something nice to say, don't bother Kate. Goodbye."

With that I slammed my thumb down on the end call button and looked back up at Kate. She had tears in her eyes and she was shaking, but as soon as I had finished speaking she pulled me towards her and hugged me tightly. We sat there for a good ten minutes sobbing into each other's shoulders before we pulled back from each other and looked each other in the eyes, both red from crying.

"Wow Max… that was…"

"I'm so sorry Kate! I just couldn't bear listening to her talking to you like that, caring more about what it looks like for 'the family' rather than how you are doing," I replied quickly, shaking my head profusely. "What you need right now is support, you're still a victim, and to hear her talking like that… after everything you've done for me I couldn't just let her get away with trying to put you down for something that's not your fault."

I clearly looked like I was going to go on, and knowing my tendency to ramble when worked up like this I probably was, as Kate put a calming finger across my lips for a moment.

"Thank You, Max," She said simply.

"What for?" I frowned. "I just shouted at your Mom, I'll have made things worse for you now…"

"No Max, you said what needed to be said, what I would never have had the courage to do; you called her out on her actions and maybe, just maybe, made her think about it," Kate replied. "Even Christ challenged people when they were doing wrong, or being hypocrites, and even Christ got angry, like when he expelled the money changers from the Temple."

Kate smiled and hugged me again.

"So thank you, Max," Kate said into my shoulder. "Even when you are in a bad place yourself, you really are my angel."

"And you are mine," I replied softly.

 **Author's Note:**

 **I hope you enjoyed this Chapter, and that I managed to portray the emotions I figured that both of them would be trying to deal with accurately. For the record, I have no idea whether playing the kind of music I had in mind would be possible with a guitar, but I watched Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World whilst writing this, and the music wrote itself into my work! Also, I couldn't resist Max, in her distressed state, finally giving Mrs Marsh the wake-up call she needed, I wish we could have done that in the game!**

 **Next Chapter shouldn't take as long, I hope!**


	4. For the Love of Tea

**Author's Note:** **Sooooooo! It's been a long time since I last updated this, far longer than I intended. I'm due to go back to university in a week or so, so I had a lot to get ready! I can only apologise for the delay and promise to do my best to keep the gaps as small as possible. Thank You also for all your reviews, they give me the energy and encouragement to keep writing this! Hope you enjoy.**

As I looked down at her I couldn't wonder when I had first started acting so weirdly around her, at least wondering about that was a better start to my morning than crying my eyes out.

I had always thought that Kate was a kind and gentle soul of course, it was difficult to imagine anyone getting the wrong idea about her and thinking she was anything but the honest, genuine girl she came across as. We had met early in the term, she had offered her help when I was moving all my stuff in; and god knew we had had a hilarious afternoon trying to build the very sofa that she was now sleeping on. It was difficult to remember a time recently when Kate had laughed; which was a damn shame because she had a beautiful laugh. We had quickly bonded over our mutual love of tea, considering coffee-drinkers uncouth barbarians, and had ended up having weekly tea sessions, although for one reason or another we had not had our tea session in over a week, although with everything that had happened this was perhaps hardly surprising.

Well, that was something that I could change, I thought, secretly grateful for an excuse to not think too much about my thoughts and feelings about Kate, which were more complex and confusing than I ever expected to be having about Kate. However it was a good excuse; for as much as Kate had been there for me during my darkest moments, I knew that i still had to be there for her and, the incident with her mother the previous night, I couldn't help but feel that I hadn't been ever since Chloe's death. That was something I could concentre on, something I could use to drag my attention away from my own sadness. So I reached down and placed my hand on her shoulder, doing my best to ignore the electric-like feeling shoot up my arm as I made contact, and gently encouraged her to wake, and was met by her deep hazel eyes looking back up at me, a half-asleep slightly confused expression forming across her features.

"Max?" Kate yawned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just had an idea what we should do today," I replied, she quirked an eyebrow so i continued, shyly. "As long as you want to spend the day with me."

"Of course I do," Kate nodded.

"Alright, in that case it's been a few weeks now since we've had our last tea-date," I replied, and I saw her face blossom into a broad smile before I could even get the suggestion out of my mouth. "I was thinking we could go to a cafe by the Bay and get us some tea."

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea," Kate agreed readily.

She glanced over at my phone on my bedside table.

"You should probably ring your mom back," She commented. "I know you ignored her call to help me out with my Mother."

"Yeah, you're right," I agreed with a sigh, I loved my Mom of course but she had a tendency to overreact.

"Do you want me to stay?" Kate asks softly.

"Do you mind?"

"Of course not," Kate smiled gently, climbing up from the sofa to sit beside me as I reached for my phone.

I clicked on the missed call, selected the call-back option, and put my phone to my ear, holding it just right so that Kate could hear as well. As it was ringing I briefly considered how much I had begun to trust Kate over the past few days, I had always trusted her of course but I probably wouldn't have let her listen into a private call like this before. Part of it was of course because she had allowed me to, but it was nice to trust someone that much regardless.

 _"Maxine? Is that you?"_

"Max, Mom!" I insisted almost automatically. "Never Maxine."

I heard a slight sigh and, despite everything, I could not help but smile at the exasperated expression my mom would be wearing about now.

 _"Fine, Max… We've just seen the news…."_ My Mom continued. _"The Girl who was shot… was that…"_

"Chloe," I said with a heavy sigh, taking some comfort from Kate squeezing my hand. "Yeah, it was."

 _"Oh Max… The boy who shot her?"_

"Arrested… along with one of our teachers, Mark Jefferson," I replied. "Classes are cancelled at the moment… we don't know when they're starting up again."

 _"That's terrible… and Mr Jefferson was one of the reasons why you wanted to go to Blackwell, wasn't it?"_ My Mom asked, I let my silence answer that question and she pushed on. _"Your father and I have been talking, and we want you to come back to Seattle, at least for the moment."_

My eyes flashed up to lock with Kate's, and I felt her grip on my hand tighten; it was obvious that she didn't like the idea of me leaving any more than I did. I wanted to stay with Kate, she was the only one who knew what I had really gone through and believed me, and god knew that she needed me there as well, knowing better than anyone else what she herself had come through.

 _"Max?"_

"No, Mom, I don't want to come home; I've got friends here who know what has happened here and can support me just as well as you would be able to, and I don't want to have to deal with having to come back after a long time away," I replied firmly, then pushed on before she could object. "Classes shouldn't be cancelled for too long and I would only be down in Seattle for a few days before I had to come back up, that's a hella lot of effort for all of us for just a few days; I'm fine here, Mom, I promise; I've got my friends."

 _"Hmmmm,"_ My Mom was clearly not convinced. _"I don't know Max, I'd feel much better if you came home for just a few days…"_

"I can't run from this, Mom, and I don't want to miss Chloe's funeral above all else," I said simply. "I need to face this."

There was a moment of silence.

 _"Alright Max, I don't like it but I don't want to make it worse by arguing,"_ My Mom sighed after a moment. _"Just look after yourself up there, and make sure your friends know that if they don't look after you, they'll answer to me."_

I locked eyes with Kate and smiled slightly.

"I will," I promised. "I love you Mom."

 _"I love you too, Max."_

I ended the call and lowered the phone form my ear and placed it down on my bed before reaching over to Kate and giving her a hug.

"Thank You," I said softly.

"You did it for me too," Kate smiled.

"We should probably get ready to go," I commented, glancing down at the time on my phone. "We've got tea to drink!"

Kate nodded and we briefly parted ways to get ready for the day, grabbing quick showers and getting changed. I bumped into Dana outside her room, she was a little worried about me as she hadn't seen me at all the previous day. I reassured her that I was alright, that I had just needed the day to myself, and once more promised to speak with her tomorrow; this time determined to actually do that. I knew from the timeline-that-never-was that Dana would be a friend and be supportive. Returning to my room I briefly considered what clothes to wear, in the end I decided just to wear my Jane Doe t-shirt with jeans and a zip-up hoodie to help fend off the cold winds of fall. I found myself stood in front of my mirror, taking far more attention to my appearance than I ever had before and I physically had to catch myself.

 _Get a grip, Caulfield, it's not like you've not done this with Kate a dozen times before!_

I smiled slightly, satisfied none the less and stepped out into the corridor, just in time to watch as Kate stepped out of her own room and looked at me, smiling as our eyes locked. It was cold as we stepped out of the Dorms, the breeze was gentle but it had a cold bite and I was glad for the hoodie and quickly zipped it up. We talked lightly as he crossed the quad and waited for the bus into town, both grateful for the warmth once we stepped onto the bus and found our seats. It wasn't that long a ride into town, although I found myself remembering the bus ride I had taken into town in the timeline that never was, on my way to meet Chloe to convince her about my powers. I could remember the sights outside and the song that had played through my headphones, _Crosses_ by José González. I found myself staring aimlessly out of the window, clearly looking sat as I felt Kate's hand take mine and give it a squeeze. Glancing at her, she gave me a comforting smile that I, just about, managed to return. We remained holding hands for the rest of the ride into town and I found myself taking comfort just from the simple human contact, although, I admitted to myself, at least some of it was because it was Kate. As he stepped off the bus into the cold morning air we rubbed our hands together and began the walk towards the tea shop.

Our destination was a quaint little place owned and run by an elderly British couple who had, some years ago, emigrated to America and, despite gaining US Citizenship, had refused steadfastly to give up their, rather stereotypical, love of tea and had decided, in their retirement, to run their own little tea shop. The interior was cosy and had memorabilia from all over the world, including a great deal from Britain itself, including a photograph of the Queen. Of course, this sort of atmosphere was right up mine and Kate's street so we felt at home almost as soon as we stepped inside. We were greeted by an elderly woman who guided us to our seats and took our orders. We explained our love of tea and after a good ten minutes of discussion we agreed to taste a range of blends, clearly the woman was pleased by two young Americans who shared their love of tea. Over the next few hours were must have drunk gallons of tea, the woman and her husband plying us with pastries and cakes of varying sorts, and for a few hours as we talked to each other, and our hosts, we forgot of troubles.

"Well, we came for a cup of tea and ended up staying for a dozen and some cakes," I smiled broadly as the woman took away our mugs and teapot for the last time. "It's a lovely little place you have here."

"It really is, we had a wonderful morning," Kate agreed earnestly.

"We're glad you liked it, love," The Woman replied. "Hopefully we'll see you again."

"Definitely," Kate and I agreed at the same time, before giggling.

"Oh you two do make a lovely couple," The Woman commented with a smile, then stepped away.

I felt my cheeks warming even without looking at Kate and when I turned my eyes upon her I saw that she was blushing as brightly red as I was sure I was. We made our way back out onto the street in silence, and I was secretly glad for the cold air, even though it was afternoon by now, as it helped to return my cheeks to a more normal, and less embarrassed temperature and colour. It was only once we looked each other in the eyes again that we both burst into a fit of giggles that broke the tension.

"I can't believe she thought we were a couple," Kate smiled.

"Well, what do you expect when we spent most of our morning tucked away in a corner with tea and just each other for company," I reasoned with a matching smile. "Besides, every time you came over she probably saw you gazing into my eyes."

"You have beautiful eyes, Max," Kate commented shyly. "And when I look into them I see care and compassion that I've not felt in a long time… I like it, so it's hard not to stare."

"Oh Kate," I said softly, realising just how lonely she must have felt. "You, um, have beautiful eyes too."

 _Smooooooooth, Max._

Kate snorted and the tension was once again broken.

"So, what do you want to do for the rest of the day?" I queried.

"I was thinking we could go for a walk," Kate suggested. "It might be cold but it's a beautiful day."

"I think that's a wonderful idea."

We started our walk along the beach, which in this timeline were thankfully devoid of dead whales or anything else related to the tornado, that was something at least. From the beach we made our way up into the woods, heading for the lighthouse. As we walked I began taking photographs, as Kate had rightly said it was a beautiful, if cold, day and this gave plenty of opportunities for photographs, both of the views and the wildlife. It was only as we were standing on the point by the lighthouse that I caught Kate watching me fondly as I framed a photograph of Arcadia Bay.

"Why do you look like the cat that just ate the canary?" I frowned as I took the picture and waited for the polaroid to dry.

"Nothing," Kate replied with a smile. "It's just good to see you taking photographs again."

Something about her smile made me suspicious as I walked back over to her and I stopped just before her and looked her in the eyes before I realised.

"You planned this," I accused. "You suggested we come up here because you knew I'd start taking pictures again."

"I may have hoped coming up here would get you taking pictures again," Kate admitted. "But only because I know how much enjoyment you take from photography, I wanted you to have that back."

"I…" I struggled to find words, truly touched by her consideration. "Thank You, Kate."

"Anything for you, Max."

 **Author's Note: Please review!**


	5. So, what about you and Kate?

**Soooooooooo, this took a whole hell of a lot longer to get out than I expected, but here it is at last! I hope it's worth the wait and you've all stuck around, promise the next chapter won't take anywhere near as long!**

"I'm going to sit out here for a bit, Kate," I said as we stopped in front of the Dorms.

Kate fixed me with a cautious expression and I could see the concern in her eyes. I smiled slightly and placed a firm arm on her shoulder and looked her in the eyes; I needed her to see that I was in fact okay. For the first time in a few days I actually felt like there was hope in my life… for the first time I hadn't spent most of the day thinking about Chloe. Between the day spent drinking team with, and talking to, Kate, followed by an afternoon of photography from a beautiful viewpoint, I had been reminded that some of the good things in my life were still very much there. This revelation I owed entirely to Kate's care and consideration, despite everything she was still dealing with she had devoted her entire day, for the third day on the run now, to ensuring that I was okay. This alone was humbling, and conscious as I was about it I had been doing my best to ensure that I'd done what I could to ensure she knew that I would be there for her as well, at least somewhat. I knew that I still had a long way to go, but I also knew that I wasn't alone, and like it had been for Kate in the other timeline, it was enough to make me step back from my own cliff of despair.

"I'm fine, I promise." I said softly.

"Okay Max, I trust you," Kate nodded and headed inside.

I sat down on the bench near the Tobanga and looked at the mysterious totem for a good few minutes before I heard movement behind me and turned, mustering a smile as Dana

"Hi Dana," I said in greeting.

"Hey Max," Dana smiled warmly. "How are you doing? You look better than you did the last time I saw you."

"I'm feeling abit better," I admitted. "It still hurts, but I don't feel alone."

"I take it we can thank Kate for that? The two of you have been inseparable the past few days," Dana commented thoughtfully as she sat down beside me. "And when we hear you crying out in your sleep, it was her that always got to you first."

I blushed, I didn't know that I'd been making as much noise with my nightmares as I must have been for the entire floor to hear, but then how else would Kate have known to come to me. But there was no judgement in Dana's eyes, word of how close I was, or had been as far as they were all concerned, with Chloe must have spread and it didn't take a genius to understand that watching anyone, much less a friend, get shot in front of you would be traumatic.

"Kate has helped alot… she always seems to be there when I've needed her since… since…" I reply, choking on my words a little before taking a deep breath. "I feel like I should be doing more for her though…"

"I wouldn't worry about Kate, Victoria took that horrible video down as soon as your friend was shot, and the rumour is that Nathan, and Mark Jefferson, were involved in drugging girls, so most people realise Kate was one of them," Dana said firmly. "Besides, you know Kate better than I do, so you know that she'd rather help someone else with their problems than wallow in her own… helping you is helping her."

I nodded slowly, there was certainly some truth to that.

"How are you doing, Dana?" I asked after a few moments. "Before all this happened I heard a rumour… I meant to check-in on you…"

"No, it's okay I understand… but what you heard is right… I was pregnant, Max," Dana replied with a sigh. "I couldn't keep it… and it was hard… but I'm getting better now."

"Trevor helping?" I smiled slightly.

"How did you know about that?" Dana chuckled. "We thought we were being really subtle."

"Dana, I saw him coming out of your room really early one morning this week," I laughed, comforted that someone other than Kate could get me to laugh again, not that I minded it being just Kate. "And let me tell you, that stride of pride was a thing to behold."

Dana laughed and went more than a little red but she was undoubtably happy and I found myself smiling in return at her; it was good to see one of my friends so happy. I knew from the time that never was that Dana had gone through a hell of a lot, what with getting pregnant and then either getting an abortion or miscarrying, I still wasn't quite sure on that point. It was good to see that she was happy now with someone else.

"So… what about you and Kate?" Dana asked wryly.

It was my turn to blush bright red as I looked away from Dana, causing her to chuckle (and no doubt essentially answering her question, without any words. Of course I hadn't really thought about in too much depth, I knew there was something about Kate that I couldn't get past, that I'd never felt anyone before, but I'd not really been in the right head space to consider it. But now that someone else, Dana, was directly asking me I found myself actively considering it properly for the first time.

"What do you mean?" I asked shyly.

"Don't be coy with me, Max, I've seen the way you look at her," Dana prodded gently. "Almost like the way Warren looks at you, but with far more intensity."

"I…" I stuttered.

"More to the point I've seen the way she looks at you, not just this past week even before, but now she seems more alive than I've seen her, and that's not just because your distracting her from that damned video," Dana said firmly. "When she's with you its like there's a light in her eyes that I've not see in her since the beginning of term, and let's face it, if she's willing to even consider overlooking her faith's teaching on homosexuality for you, that has to mean something."

"I guess you're right," I concede.

It was this last statement that hit me the hardest. Given that she was raised in a staunchly Roman Catholic household, and was devout herself, it stood to reason that she should have been very opposed to a relationship with another girl. The very fact that she was behaving the way she was, and being as obvious to people like Dana as she was, rather than hiding her feelings away, had to mean that they were strong enough to overcome her upbringing to at least some degree.

 _All for little old me?_

For someone such as myself, who had never had a serious relationship to speak of, or any boy really show any interest in me, this was a surprise to say the least. Moreover I found myself wondering at what Dana had said; if I was falling for Kate did that make me a homosexual? I found myself oddly okay with that idea; the Pacific Northwest was hardly the least welcoming place for the LGBT community. Unlike many young girls in my position I at least knew that my family would not be a problem; my father would support me in pretty much anything, whilst my mother just wanted what was best for me; I knew I could count on them. Was I actually considering this?

"What should I do?" I ask quietly.

"Have you tried taking to her?" Dana replied with a smile.

"We talk all the time, we have started to realise that something's changed but we've not really talked about it," I reply thinking back to our time together today. "I wouldn't even know how to start, it'd be hella awkward."

"Well, if you don't want to talk you have to let your actions speak for you," Dana said firmly. "Have you thought about kissing her?"

"I would't even know where to start on that either," I reply blushing brightly. "It'd be my first kiss."

"Think of it this way, it'd be her first kiss too," Dana countered, ignoring the fact it would be my first kiss, which I was eternally grateful for. "if neither of you are going to come out and say it, one of you needs to make the leap of faith; I doubt she'll shoot you down."

"You may be right," I said quietly. "When should I do it?"

"Tonight, or tomorrow," Dana replied promptly. "Do it before Chloe's funeral… if you don't have something to hold onto you'll be back where you were at the beginning of the week."

"You may have a point there," I agree, wincing slightly at the mention of Chloe's funeral. "I'll do it tonight."

"Attagirl," Dana smiled.

"And then what?"

"Then you see what happens next."

 **Please review, and stick around for the next chapter which should be a lot sooner!**


End file.
